


A Keen Eye and a Sharp Mind

by FaithAndATypeWriter



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Comedy, Father-Son Relationship, Hiccup's a Smart Kid, Mentions of Alvin the Treacherous, Mild Angst, Single Father Stoick, Vikings, Young Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:28:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23093329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaithAndATypeWriter/pseuds/FaithAndATypeWriter
Summary: Raids from the Outcasts are keeping Stoick busy, but every once in a while an occasion pops up that proves he would never be able to ignore how bright his young son truly was.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 120





	A Keen Eye and a Sharp Mind

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy, HTTYD fans! This is my first fic for this fandom but I'm hoping its the first of many more. 
> 
> If you leave a comment, please don’t mention a spoiler for The Hidden World. I haven’t been able to see it yet (largely because I’ve seen enough spoilers to know it will likely break my heart and I’m waiting until I’m ready for a good cry). ;)
> 
> Thank you and I hope you enjoy!  
> Blessings,   
> ~FaithAndATypeWriter

Berk. A hardened land for a hardened people. Their enemies, both man and beast, were fierce but they were fiercer. They were vikings and they were proud.

Death was an occupational hazard, but life was something to be protected and it was Stoick’s job to protect it. 

It was not an easy job and at times he failed. He failed to protect his wife’s life but he vowed to end the scourge of dragons in her name once and for all...someday. His people would be free of the dragons and no other little child would have to grow up without his or her mother or father like their little Hiccup was forced to.

But the blasted devils were not his main concern at the moment. Word had reached him that Alvin the Treacherous was recently named Chief of the Outcasts. He should have known that banishing that traitor would not stop the endless trouble the man created for him and the tribe, but he’d been hopeful that he was rid of him. Instead, Alvin’s greed and bitterness had only grown and he was determined to focus his attention on Berk in acts of vengeance. Be it raiding the island for their food stores and wild game or poking at the Hooligans through random attacks, Alvin was becoming relentless. More importantly, Alvin was becoming a threat.

Stoick took careful stock of their resources and gathered his most trusted warriors for their council. The skirmishes had not quite escalated to full on war, but they were well passed troublesome and on the way to making war inevitable. Between the dragon raids and the Outcast attacks, the Hooligans’ winter food stores could easily become compromised and he didn’t want to lose any of his people to carelessness. He’d sent a message to Oswald to request aid but had not yet heard back from him. The man had not been the same since his young daughter disappeared; he’d gone off on a quest to find her and come back empty handed but a changed man--as though he harbored a great secret Stoick couldn’t, for the life of him, fathom.

Really, it was not a surprising development after Oswald lost his child. Stoick didn’t know what he would do if he lost Hiccup, so he tried to excuse the man’s unpredictability. As far as Berserkers go, at least Oswald was still somewhat dependable.

The council gathered in the Hall and surrounded the war map as they outlined their battle plan against the Outcasts. It was the height of the day outside, but they remained in the sooty gloom; surrounded by the odor of mead and illuminated only by torches and the fire pit. They were all intent upon devising a plan to protect their home...though Stoick had to redirect Spitelout away from a few more...harebrained suggestions. And there was one memorable instance when he needed to deflect a brewing fight between Fearless Finn Hofferson and one of the Thorstons--Pinenutt was it? All the Thorstons looked alike and acted irritating!

With the council’s attention  _ mostly _ focused, the Chief went into further detail regarding his plan. Halfway through, Stoick felt a tiny tug on his tunic and looked down to find his son beside him. Hiccup was quiet and simply raised his arms to his father to be held. Stoick scooped him up and carried on with his council meeting without even pausing for breath.

It was uneventful for a moment. The warriors were attentive--as much as can be expected of vikings--and Hiccup watched them all with wide, intelligent eyes while he rested his head against his dad’s shoulder. The moment passed and Stoick was cut off by another tiny tug--this time on his beard.

Stoick sighed at the interruption but wondered if Hiccup needed to be taken to the outhouse again. Maybe he could talk Gobber into taking him…

“What is it, Son?” Stoick asked.

Hiccup turned to the battle plan laid out before them and pointed. Though the boy was young, only barely out of his toddler stage, he looked his father in the eye and said, “There’s a hole right there! The bad guys’ll get ya!”

Stoick and many of his councilors swung their gazes to where the boy pointed on the map. Spitelout and some of the others were quick to chuckle and rib each other in amusement that bordered on mocking. They only paid attention when the likes of Phlegma the Fierce and the Hofferson brothers dropped their jaws. Hiccup truly had identified a weak spot that they’d overlooked.

“Well bless mah skivvies!” Gobber exclaimed. “The lad’s right!”   
  


Stoick scowled at his friend’s choice of phrase, especially as the next words across Hiccup’s lips were, “What does ‘bless my skivvies’ mean, Dad?”

“Never you mind!” Stoick grumbled and sent his friend another disgruntled look that had absolutely no effect in garnering remorse from Gobber. Refocusing on his son, Stoick smiled at Hiccup and ruffled his hair. “Good job, Son! You’ve got quite the keen eye, there! And a mind that’s sharp as a whip, too!”

“Is that a good thing?” Hiccup asked with an adorably scrunched up, confused expression.

“Aye!” Stoick laughed. “You’ve done good, Hiccup! Your mind can be one of your most powerful weapons.”

“Weapons…” Hiccup muttered and Stoick became unexplainably concerned by the bright, thoughtful look in his son’s eyes.


End file.
